Flower holder



Dec. 31, 1940. R w slMPsN 2,226,950

FLOW EEEEEE ER Filed Jan. l5, 1938 Patented Dec. 31, 1940 PATENT oFFicE FLOWER HOLDER Robert W. Simpson, New York, N. Y.

Application January 13, 1938, Serial No. 184,756 In Great Britain November 15, 1937 8 Claims.

`My invention relates to a ower holder which is particularly adapted for use in connection withthe device for exhibiting flowers shown and described in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,046,854, issued July 7, 1936 (reissued March 9, 1937 as Re issue Letters Patent No. 20,289). The present invention, when so used, acts as a combined closure member and holder or support for the stems of the owers to be exhibited; it may alsoy act as the base upon which the flower exhibiting device of my said reissue patent stands.

Among the objects of my present invention is to provide a holder for flowers which will not deteriorate appreciably with repeated use; into which the flower stems may be quickly and conveniently inserted and positively held, and from which they may be easily` withdrawn; which is economical tomanufacture; and which, when used in connection with my above-mentioned flower exhibiting device, will perform one or more of the several functions above described. Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear hereinafter and will be appreciated by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the preferred form of my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view thereof when used with my flower exhibiting device, certain parts being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line a-a of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View of a modified form of my device; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross section thereof, taken on the line b-b of Fig, 4.

Referring to thedrawing, the device, I, of my present invention, in its preferred form, comprises in general a cup-shaped member of soft, elastic rubber, molded in a single piece. An up wardly and inwardly turned flange, 2, is provided around its circumference; also, as an integral part thereof, there is provided a more or less spherical, solid protuberance, or central thickened portion, 3, having a plurality of holes or sockets, 4, molded therein for the purpose of holding the flower stems. The bottom of the device is preferably :at or may be provided with small knobes or posts, 5, upon which the device may stand.

One method of using my flower holder is shown in Fig. 2, where it performs the several functions of acting as a base member for a flower exhibiting device, acting as a closure member for the glass bowl of such device, and acting as the holder of the flowers to be exhibited therein. The general structure and principle of such a flower exhibiting device are shown and described in my said Reissue Patent No. 20,289. In such a device, the opening in an inverted glass bowl, 6, lled with water or other transparent liquid, is closed by a cup-shaped rubber member,-the liquid being retained in the bowl by means of a ange on the' cup-shaped member, or by atmospheric pressure, or both. Flowers, or any other desired article, are exhibited within the glass bowl,-being supported by a holder associated with the base member.

Thus, utilizing my present invention, the flower stems are inserted in the holes or sockets, 4, so as to project upward into the liquid within the bowl, 6. The neck of the bowl `rests on the flat surface, 1, of the combined closure member, base member, and flower holder, and the flange, 2, thereof engages the external surface of the neck of the bowl to retain the liquid` therein.

Normally, means are provided within the sockets, 4, to engage the flower stems so that the flowers will not come out of the sockets and float in the liquid within the bowl. In the drawing, two forms of flower stem engaging means are illustrated. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the sockets, 4, are provided, near .their open ends, with annular iianges, 8, similar to washers. These anges are thin and, therefore, by reason of the softness and elasticity of the rubber of which the device is made, are pliable. When a flower stem (such as 9-see Fig. 3) is inserted in the sockets, the inner edge of the flange, 8, within the socket, is bent downward, in engagement with the ower stem, and thus prevents the flower stem fro-1n fioating out of the socket. In View of the pliability of the thin flanges, 8, however, the

iiower stems may easily be removed when desired.

In the modification of the flower stem engaging means shown in Figs. 4 and 5, there are provided a plurality of pins or fingers, ID, l0 (preferably four of them), which likewiseare molded integrally with the entire device and are therefore also composed of soft, elastic rubber. Preferably each finger extends from the wall of the socket to approximately the axis thereof. In the preferred arrangement of this modification, the second finger is located somewhat below the rst and diametrically opposite thereto. The two remaining ngers, l, are located below the fingers, l0, and are oriented 90Y with respect thereto. With this arrangement, as will readily be seen, the flower stem, when inserted in the socket, will be engaged by the resilient fingers at a plurality of places. In view of their pliability, the fingers, when a ilower stem is inserted in the socket, will be bent downward-thereby holding the flower stem in the socket and preventing its coming out except when a comparatively large upward pull is exerted on the stem.

If desired, the socket may be tapered so as to become narrower toward the bottom, as shown in Fig. 5.

In its preferred form, the device of the present invention, as stated above, is molded from a single piece of soft, elastic rubber. In prior devices which have been constructed and designed for use with ower exhibiting devices such as the type illustrated in my said Reissue Patent No. 20,289, there have always been certain objectionable features. shown in my said reissue patent are used, it is sometimes dii'icult to insert flower stems in the stem engaging means without breaking the-Stems; also the repeated opening and closing. of; thesprings often result in their losing` their resil iency with the result that they; are no longer. suitableto hold ower stems. A number of, other types of flower stem engaging means have also been designed, and some of them have been com- 'mercially used; Many of them are unsightly,

others are diflicult or inconvenient to use, and, all of them, so far as I knoware moreY expensive to manufacture and assemble than the device of 'the present invention.v The, `construction of a` holder made entirely of soft, elastic rubber.,`

molded in one piece, is not only of Yitself more cording to mypresent invention, and'Id'esire to l secure protection for all suchr mudifocations,I as, may come within the scope` ofiV the appended claims.

Having described my inventioml claim: 1. A flower holder comprising a comparatively.

Thus, where metal springs, of the type thick and rigid central portion composed of molded soft rubber; flower-stem sockets therein; and integral, pliable, flower-stem engaging means in the form of annular flanges molded within the sockets.

2. A flower holder comprising a base portion of soft, elastic rubber having a thickened, comparatively rigid, central portion; cylindrical flower-stem sockets in the thickened portion; and integral, pliable flower-stem engaging means in the form of annular flanges associated with the sockets.

3. A device according to claim 6 in which the sockets areclosed at the bottom.

4. A combined flower holder and closure member for an inverted, liquid-filled, display bowl comprising a thickened, comparatively rigid, central portion and an upstanding ange around the periphery of such member, the central portion and flange being joined together by pliable, resilient material; sockets in the said central portion; and pliable means for engaging an article to be displayed Within `said bowl, said means being composed of annular anges located adjacent themouths of the sockets.

5. A device according to claim 4 in which thethick and rigid central portion composed of soft, rubber; flower-stem sockets therein; and pliable` flower-stem engaging means associated with the sockets, said meansbeing in the form of annular flanges.

7. A device according to claim 6 in which the flower-stem engaging means are located within the sockets adjacent their mouths.

8. A combined flower holder and closure member for an inverted, liquid-filled, iiower-display bowl comprising a base portion; an integral, upstanding ange around the periphery thereof and adapted to engage the neck of the bowl; a thickened central portion; flower-stem sockets therein; and pliable lflower-stem engaging means in the form of annular lianges adjacent the mouths of the sockets; all of said portions being composed of soft, elastic rubber, molded i'n one piece.

ROBERTW. sIMPsoN.. 

